In honor of Canada Day and its 150^th birthday, I salute our friends up in the Great White North, welcome. (According to Jughead Jones of Archie Comics, welcome is a common Canadian greeting.) Nothing, and I mean nothing, encapsulates Canada like the power-prog trio, Rush.

It is strange how similar the U.S. and Canada seems on the surface, yet there is this nagging suspicion that underneath, there are sinister differences, almost catastrophic. The unspoken differences are Canada has more French-speaking humans, a comprehensive health care system and Rush.

Rush is comprised of Geddy Lee on bass and vocals, Alex Lifeson on guitar, and Neil Peart on massive drums. Some claim that a family of six can live comfortably in Peart’s drum set. Rush began in 1968 as a blues based band, and in 1975 took off with their progressive rock sound with the album “Fly By Night”.

Some Facts About Rush:

• I saw Rush in concert twice. The first time, on a dare; the second time, on a double dog dare. I don’t participate in double dog dares anymore.
• Rush is also a legal drug, commonly known as amyl nitrate, butyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate and TNT.
• Geddy Lee’s voice has been mistaken for car brakes squealing more than a thousand times.
• Like Ayn Rand, they blend sci-fi and philosophy in their art; unlike Ayn Rand, they are all still alive.

Cred Factor: Geddy Lee sang “Take Off” with Bob and Doug McKenzie.

Now a pop music daffynition.

Rush Hour

/rəSH/ /’ou(ə)r/

noun

sixty minutes a day specifically set aside to listen to the band Rush

[When listening to Rush, you may experience dizziness, migraine headaches, nausea, black hard stools, difficulty urinating, blood clots, joint pain, difficulty breathing, and spyrogyrarrhea. If you have any of these symptoms, stop listening to Rush, and consult your doctor.]

synonyms: Two for Tuesday radio programming, Hour you can never get back, unpleasant

“Rush Hour while stuck in trafficular rush hour is so exasperating, my arms feel like they’re about to fall off from all that air drumming.”

“Right after 4:20 PM, I am so going to soak in the solace of Rush Hour; I may even extend it to two or three Rush Hours.”

#JamesBrownLikedRushTheDrugNotTheBand, #JamesBrown2112NothingInCommon